This article presents results from a needs analysis survey conducted in the first year of a European-funded project entitled 'Teachers' Assessment Literacy Enhancement (TALE)'. The survey questionnaire used asked 1788 learners of English in Cyprus, Germany, Greece and Hungary about their experiences of assessment; which of these they considered conducive to learning and the role feedback played as an instrument of formative assessment. Further questionnaire data from their 658 teachers were included in the data analysis. The results showed that practices differed across contexts. Overall, both learners and teachers reported a wide range of skills and areas to be assessed in the EFL classroom with writing, followed by speaking, being assessed the most. Based on the perceptions reported by the learners, the assessment types used revealed rather traditional approaches with frequent use of e.g. discrete-point tests with closed answers, extended writing and translation. The learners appeared to regard these types of assessment to be supportive of their learning. Feedback given was mostly restricted to marks and brief comments. The perceptions on feedback practices varied among teachers and their learners. Results of the needs analysis were taken as the basis of the online course design for enhancing teachers' language assessment literacy. Language assessment literacy: definition and conceptualizationAssessment literacy (Stiggins, 1991) has been a focus of scholarly attention in education for over two decades now. It became a focus for language assessment in the early 2000s (Brindley, 2001) and it has been suggested that the specialized nature of our field justifies use of a more specific term:

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Language teachers’ assessment knowledge and skills have received considerable attention from language assessment researchers over the past few decades (Davison & Leung, 2009; Hill & McNamara, 2012; Rea-Dickins, 2001; Taylor, 2013). This seems to be linked to the increased professionalism expected of them in classroom-based assessments. However, teachers seem to face a number of challenges, including how large-scale standardized language exams influence their classroom assessment practices. Teachers’ assessment literacy, therefore, needs to be examined in order to explain their assessment decisions. In this paper, we review the concept of (language) assessment literacy, how it has evolved and how it is conceptualized currently. Recent interpretations seem to reflect a multidimensional, dynamic and situated view of (language) assessment literacy. Implications for teacher education are also highlighted by presenting research findings from studies that explored teachers’ and teacher candidates’ assessment literacy in various educational contexts. As a result, we can identify some common patterns in classroom assessment practices as well as context-specific training needs. Finally, we make a recommendation for tackling some of the challenges language teachers are facing in relation to classroom-based assessment in the Hungarian context.

Tanulmányunk célja, hogy rávilágítson az érettségi, valamint a nyelvvizsga bizonyítvány által hitelesített idegen nyelvi sikeresség és a diploma nyújtotta társadalmi mobilitás lehetséges viszonyára a jelenleg hatályban lévő törvényi szabályozás keretei között. Ennek okán vizsgálatunk arra a kérdésre keresi a választ, hogy milyen összefüggések mutathatóak ki az angol nyelvből emelt szinten (B2 szint) érettségizők, valamint a középfokon (B2-es szint) angol nyelvből vizsgázók sikeressége, életkora, társadalmi neme és születési helye között. A Nyelvvizsgáztatási Akkreditációs Központ (NYAK) adataira támaszkodva vizsgálatunk célja, hogy (1) feltárja a nyelvek népszerűsége és a vizsgázók sikeressége közötti tendenciákat, valamint (2) bemutassa a B2-es szinten vizsgázókat a fent említett négy változó mentén. Mivel a nyelvtanulás sikerességét a közoktatás által szabályozott módon, illetve államilag akkreditált, de piaci keretek között is mérik, célunk továbbá (3) az angol nyelvi emelt szintű érettségi adatok és az angol középfokú, komplex típusú nyelvvizsga adatok összevetése a vizsgázók sikeressége és a vizsgázás éve (2005-2015) mentén. A vizsgálat eredménye alapján azt feltételezzük, hogy a társadalmi mobilitás a nemek tekintetében és területi vonatkozásban eltérően valósul meg.

This paper highlights the concept of constructivism that underpins the theory and practice of foreign language teaching. The dominance of this pedagogical movement in the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century has been particularly important for the study and understanding of digitally supported forms of learning. Constructivism can provide a response to the analysis and practice of new forms of learning: it is based on the premise that knowledge transfer and the role of the teacher are undergoing intense change. Its implications in the classroom define and influence the pedagogical models and traditions of our time. The paper traces the emergence and dimensions of constructivism in today's digitally infused education, providing a theoretical and literature overview.